Monday Morning Cheerleader: Ashley of the Atlanta Falcons

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Nothing in sports is quite as unpredictable as the divisional weekend in the NFL playoffs, when you can laugh with joy as your team makes it to the conference championship, or tear up over a last-second decision that kills your Super Bowl dream — and your parlay. But, rest assured, it's a costly weekend for the players, as well. One Rahim Moore miscue can result in a Joe Flacco touchdown to tie the game, and the rare Peyton Manning interception can end the Broncos' season in double-overtime heartbreak. Or sophomore Colin Kaepernick can set an NFL quarterback record with his 181 rushing yards to take down the mighty Packers. But it wasn't until Sunday, when Falcons cheerleader Ashley witnessed her first playoff game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome — an early 20-0 Falcons lead, followed by a four-touchdown Seattle comeback that was nearly enough before Matt Ryan orchestrated a last-second field goal to win — that she realized just how spectacular divisional weekend can be. When you are on the winning side, that is.

LINDSAY MCCORMICK: I'll just let you start this conversation while I attempt to wrap my mind around what transpired in the last few minutes.

ASHLEY: It took me a while to settle down. It was such a roller coaster of emotions. It was insane. I am so proud of our players for fighting until the end and proving to all the doubters that they could win a playoff game. Even when it came down to those last few seconds, I never lost faith in our guys. We have had a lot of close games all year that we pulled out, and both teams played well in the second half. It just shows that you can never stop fighting.

LM: That was better than any of the speeches we heard last night at the Golden Globes. So I'm assuming going into the second half you thought it was a done deal.

ASHLEY: Of course. All the fans were so excited and everyone thought we had it won. I was already getting messages from friends saying, "Let's shut them out!" But then the Seahawks came back and fought for it.

LM: Why is it that you guys play so well in the Georgia Dome during the season, but haven't fared well there in the playoffs?

ASHLEY: Look at what happened today, even though we were ahead. I do think that it is somewhat of a head game and it's hard to not let the pressure get to you. Everyone was thinking, "Oh no, is this really going to happen, again?" I don't think that there is one reason, in particular. But also, the teams in the playoffs are more evenly matched, so it could always go either way.

LM: What was different about the Dome today?

ASHLEY: The Dome is always an exciting place to be, but today was on another level. Even the fans felt a chip on their shoulders and wanted to prove to everyone we could win.

LM: Based on their play, it looked like both quarterbacks felt that way. Who was the better second-half QB: Matty Ice or Russell Wilson?

ASHLEY: That's a tough one. I have to go with Matt Ryan. Regardless of what the Seahawks were doing, he never let it get to his head, stayed calm and kept moving the ball down the field and got the win. He's been an incredible leader for this team.

LM: Speaking of team leaders, how do you bring down Michael Turner?

ASHLEY: He's an incredible player and one that we are really lucky to have.

LM: Sounds like you don't have the answer to that. Don't worry, neither did the Seahawks. What did you think of Titans linebacker Will Witherspoon's comparison of Turner to a bowling ball?

ASHLEY:[Laughs.] That's a fabulous description of him. He just gets down the field and puts a show on while doing it.

LM: Tight end Tony Gonzalez got his first career playoff win tonight, so does he retire at the end of the season?

ASHLEY: Watching him get emotional was my favorite part of the game. I would hate to see him go, just like a lot of Falcons fans. If he does retire, he will be going out as one of the best tight ends, if not one of the best players. Hopefully, we will take it all the way to the Super Bowl for him, and he can go out on top.

LM: But first, you guys will have to get past the Niners next week. And quarterback Colin Kaepernick doesn't make that team an easy one to prepare for.

ASHLEY: It's always tough when you play against an NFL quarterback that runs a lot. Our defense was phenomenal today in the first half. I know that Wilson and Kaepernick are different guys, but both are tough to stop. Our team has a week to prepare. They'll come up with some way to stop him and get a win.

LM: How will the cheerleaders spend that week preparing, with another home game now on the schedule?

ASHLEY: We still have practices and the same amount of hours as the regular season. We work so hard during the season that we just continue to put in that same amount of effort for the playoff games.

LM: Any predictions for next week?

ASHLEY: I have so much faith in this team, we will 100 percent come out on top. After watching the big comeback today and how our team still pulled out a win, it just shows that it is our year.

Lindsay McCormick (pictured at left) has covered the NFL for ESPN The Magazine and CBS. She is the former host of "The Fan" on Comcast SportsNet, where she was the sideline reporter for the Portland Trail Blazers. And she'll be back right here on The Culture Blog every week with Monday Morning Cheerleader. Plus, stay tuned for Tom Chiarella on Monday Night Football (now with more Peyton!), Chris Connelly on Steve Smith, and more. Also: beer.